Last updated on December 21, 2023.

Tim and I decided to try Uygur food at Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Istanbul. I had never eaten Uygur food before and I had no idea what to expect. Tim traveled to Xinjiang province in China so he was familiar with it. I let him have free reign over the order.

 

Yüksel Uygur Restaurant

Yüksel Uygur Restaurant is located in Aksaray, just across from the Yusufpaşa tram stop. We were greeted with a friendly smile from the waiter and took our seats. A large pot of tea was brought to our table immediately.

Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey
Yüksel Uygur Restaurant

 

Samsa

Tim placed our order, and shortly after we were brought a small meat-filled pastry called samsa. It was very tasty, and I could describe it as similar to an empanada.

Samsa at Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey
Samsa

 

Uygur Pilav

Our next dish was Uygur pilav, which is rice with small chunks of meat and shredded carrots. Tim suggested adding the complementary salad (tomatoes and cucumbers) to the pilav as he did in Xinjiang province, and it turned out to be a great suggestion.

Uygur pilav at Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey
Uygur pilav

 

Lağman

The next dish to come was a noodle dish called lağman. They were thick noodles with sauteed vegetables and thin strips of meat, mixed in a perfectly spiced sauce. It was my favorite dish of the night.

Lağman at Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey
Lağman

 

Uygur Mantı

Finally, we had Uygur mantı. While Turkish mantı is very small and smothered in yogurt sauce and spices, the Uygur variety was big enough to fit in the palm of my hand and filled with lots of meat. It was kind of an anticlimactic finish to the meal. While it tasted good, it was squirting juices as I cut into it and there were a few unexpected bones. I’d skip it and try something else.

Mantı at Yüksel Uygur Restaurant in Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey
Mantı

 

Conclusion

The meal was an enjoyable experience and a great introduction to Uygur food. For the two of us, it was also very affordable for the quality and amount of food we got!

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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